SOFIA'S BIRTHDAY KITCHEN

So, this idea has been bouncing around in my head for awhile, possibly since Sofia was born. I had a tall nightstand that I knew would make the perfect refrigerator, and a short, wide one that would make a perfect stove/sink. I didn't want to cut into the pieces, so I tried to do as little as possible without altering the integrity of the actual piece. For the fridge, I just painted it pink, a $2 can of oops paint! I painted the handle white to match the pull on the drawer of the stove. I added chalkboard paint to the front for her to scribble on and eventually make pretend shopping lists. For the stove/sink, it wasn't that much work either. I painted it the same $2 pink, then added four black circles for the stove top. I purchased a bag of wooden wheels, like for toy trucks and cars, and painted them black. I screwed them to the top of the nightstand, but didn't tighten the screws all the way so that the "knobs" would still turn just like a real knob. For the sink, I bought a metal cake tin, I put two small screws in the inside so that the tin wouldn't turn in circles. For the faucet, I bought a letter "J" and just turned it upside down. I painted the J and two knobs, and two jenga blocks glued to the sides of the J for extra support. I painted them all in a gunmetal silver. I bought the play kitchen pieces at a garage sale over 6 months ago. I purchased the food at Wal-Mart for super cheap. I found the wooden highchair at a thrift shop forever ago. I painted the seat pink, but ran out, so the tray got a light green color.

I have to say, I have done a LOT of projects in my life, but this might be my favorite. Sofia seems pleased too, which is the point of your 2nd birthday.....